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After being rescued from the bison hunters, everything did not in fact go back to normal for Kai. Actually, if anything, people were showing him more respect than he had ever received in his entire life. Everyone was so impressed that he managed to tame a herd of wild bison, but it felt like he hadn’t done anything other than put Jinora in danger because of his selfishness again. Receiving all this praise just made him feel worse, he knew he didn’t deserve it.
When they all went home that evening after watching the bison fly for the first time, Kai made a pact with himself to not interact with Jinora more than necessary. Most of the time Tenzin made sure not to put him in the classes Jinora taught, so avoiding her shouldn’t be too hard. He knew in the long run it would be better off for him not to get close to her since he brought trouble with him everywhere he went and relationships never lasted anyway. Even if they stayed friends, he knew at some point she would abandon him like everyone else had in his life. Besides, she was an airbending prodigy and granddaughter of Avatar Aang, it wasn’t like he was worthy of her friendship anyway.
Jinora thought something was up with Kai lately. He was never in their usual meeting spots, actually, he was almost impossible to find recently. She had been busy leading classes so it was easy to miss at first, but when he didn’t even eat meals with her and the rest of the airbenders multiple days in a row, she knew something was definitely wrong. Kai would never miss out on her mom’s cooking willingly.
Deducing that there was a problem was the easy part though, trying to understand what was wrong was a lot more difficult. No matter how much she racked her brains she couldn’t think of anything that occurred between them that would make him mad at her. It felt like just yesterday he told her she was an incredible airbender and deserved her master tattoos. She decided this was a problem she needed some advice on.
“Mom, I am worried about Kai, I never see him come to eat anymore with the other airbenders and it feels like he’s avoiding me. Do you think I did something wrong? Do you think I upset him the other day? Because during dad’s lesson, he suggested we go visit the baby bison and I told him to pay attention. But it makes no sense, because even after that he told me I was incredible sooo… I thought we were best friends, so I don’t get why he’s acting like this.” Jinora let out an exasperated huff as she finished her rant, then leaned into her mom’s side as she waited for an answer.
“Oh sweetie, I am sure it wasn’t something you did wrong, Kai seems like he truly cares about you.” Pema smoothed out Jinora’s hair as she talked.
“Why is he avoiding me and acting all weird then? He is late sometimes, but never to breakfast, lunch, or dinner!”
“You know, now that you mention it, I have noticed Kai in the kitchen at strange times. I think, whatever problem there is between you guys, you need to confront him first or you’ll be stuck wondering what’s wrong. You know with your dad, I was the one that had to chase after him, and even though it was scary, it led me to be here with you today.”
“Thanks mom! You’re right! I just need to ask him what’s wrong so we can make it better. No use in wondering, when I can just ask the source!” Jinora hugged her mom for good measure and then strolled off to look for Kai.
Just finding him to confront him was not as simple of a task as Jinora first thought it would be. She could tell his years growing up on the streets had definitely aided in his ability to hide anywhere. After spending an hour trying to scour through the Northern Air Temple, she had no luck- this temple was too big for her to find him anytime soon. If he was going to be like this, it was time for her to pull out her ultimate move. Walking out to one the many balconies of the temple, Jinora plopped down into the lotus position. Then she started concentrating on her spiritual connection to Kai, as she had done previously when she found him and the other airbenders hidden away under the Earth Queen’s temple.
Slowly her perspective began to change as she blinked in and out of a new location. Finally as her surroundings cleared up, she saw she was floating high up in the air. Kai was currently staking out in the rafters of one of the sanctuaries with ridiculously high ceilings. She should have known he would hide in a place like this. Before he noticed her projection, she returned back to her body to confront him in person.
She immediately jumped on her air scooter and took off in the direction of the sanctuary he was hiding, she was not going to let him escape now.
Kai felt a chill run up his back as he sat in the rafts of an unused sanctuary. He swiftly turned around and observed his surroundings careful, but decided he just imagined it. There was no way anyone was going to find him here even if they were looking for him.
The past few days had been rough. He attended the majority of his airbending classes, since that was the least he could do to contribute to the Air Nation as they provided him with a temporary home, but his heart hurt more than it ever had before. It was really a strange feeling he had never felt before, all the previous people abandoning him in the past never felt like this, but avoiding Jinora for a few days, it hurt more than anything. A small part of him was hoping that Jinora would find him so this nightmare could end, but he had already been selfish enough for one life. This was the punishment he deserved.
The creaking of a door startled Kai out of his self-deprecating spiral. He immediately shrank down making himself as small and still as possible. There was no way this person would even notice him. Suddenly a gust of wind hit him, and he was instantly pinned down to the rafter. He was met with a wind-stricken, wild-eyed Jinora.
“Monkey feathers...” Kai mumbled to himself.
This ambush was the last thing he suspected from Jinora and fighting her was not really an option. First, she was basically an airbending master, plus he didn’t want to add physically hurting her to his list of mistakes. However, despite the circumstances, his heart started wildly beating as if he was running a marathon, but it wasn’t out of fear, it was something else- he was feeling strangely hopeful?
“It seems like you have some explaining to do.” Jinora said in the voice she usually reserved for when she was mad at Ikki.
Whelp. He was really in for it this time. Time to do what airbenders did best: deflect and flee.
“Explain what exactly? I didn’t know it was against any of the rules to hangout in the rafters...” He awkwardly chuckled as he tried to nonchalantly escape from her grip. Then, he made a fatal error- looking into Jinora’s eyes. She looked like a kicked rabaroo with tears in the corners of her eyes.
“That’s not what I meant and you know it! Why are you avoiding me?! Did I do something wrong? I have been thinking about it, but I can’t remember doing anything wrong. And you’re never at our meet up spots or at any meals. I have been so worried about you!” By the end of her speech, tears were profusely running down her face.
At that moment, Kai was ready to give in, they were both hurting. Maybe it was time for Kai to come clean for real. He couldn’t stand the sight of a sad Jinora at all, but especially not a sad crying Jinora.
“Wait, Jinora, don't cry. It's not what you think. You didn’t do anything wrong, actually, it’s the exact opposite…”
Jinora sniffled and finally released him from where she had pinned him against the rafters to wipe her eyes. “What do you mean?” she said, now she looked genuinely confused.
“Well it’s just you’re so amazing and talented and you’re Avatar Aang’s granddaughter for spirit’s sake. You’re actually important, unlike me- I have no family, no home. The other day it was all my fault we got captured by the bison hunters… I just bring trouble wherever I go and I put your life in danger. That’s why I started avoiding you, so I would stop bringing you trouble.” Kai nervously looked up at Jinora after finishing his speech.
“Don’t talk bad about my best friend like that!!” Jinora shouted as she continued to angrily wipe off tears.
“Huh?” Kai was completely dumbstruck and confused.
“Don’t talk bad about my best friend Kai like that!! He’s very important! He does have a home- it’s with me and the other members of the Air Nation.” Jinora had a serious look on her face like when she was reprimanding a student in one of her airbending classes.
Kai finally cracked a smile at that and felt the blood rushing to his face. This was not the reaction he had expected from her at all.
“Wait, I’m your best friend?”
“Yes! You’re my best friend and my first friend ever that isn’t a spirit. The last few days without you have been so hard and boring. Your suggestion may have led us to being captured, but it also led to us capturing a bunch of bison hunters and taming a herd of wild bison which is pretty amazing if you ask me. That’s two positives to one negative. So overall it was a win for the Air Nation!”
When she put things so logically like that it was hard to disagree. Kai put his face in his hands. This was so confusing when she was right there telling him everything he wanted to hear.
“That doesn’t change the fact I don’t deserve you. You have always been so good to me even after you saw me do so many terrible things like steal from that family, lie to everyone’s faces, and run away from you guys in the Upper Ring. Why do you keep giving me more chances when I keep messing up? How do I know when you’re going to stop giving me more chances? What will I do when you leave me for good?”
Jinora had always been surrounded by a loving family her whole life and many encouraging adult figures and even Korra and all of her friends. Her life was always full of so much love and encouragement and support. She never really thought about what it would be like to grow without all that encouragement and support. But after hearing Kai say “when you leave me,” she only felt sorrow at everything Kai had been through before he became a member of the Air Nation.
Gently, she removed Kai’s hands from his face and gave him a hug. Slowly Kai’s arms went from hanging limply at his sides to pulling Jinora tighter into the embrace, his hands bunched up in her shawl.
“Kai, I don’t want to leave you ever. Even if you don’t make all the right choices, I will still be here. I know your heart is in the right spot, so don’t be too hard on yourself. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
“Thanks, Jinora. That was exactly what I needed to hear. I am sorry for avoiding you. Forgive me?”
“Only if you teach me your cool lock picking trick.”
“Deal.”